


Goodnight, Goodnight (At Your Side)

by InconvenientImmortal



Category: Rockman X | Mega Man X, Rockman | Mega Man - All Media Types
Genre: (Also features the 17th and 0th units gently poking fun at Zero and X’s mutual crush on each other), (With a side of angst because of who I am as a person), Featuring a minor appearance of the 17th and 0th units, Fluff, Gen, M/M, Post X6, Slice of Fluff, Slice of Life
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-23
Updated: 2018-05-23
Packaged: 2019-05-10 07:57:08
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,702
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14733011
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/InconvenientImmortal/pseuds/InconvenientImmortal
Summary: A long mission leaves X exhausted. Zero tries to figure out how to help his sleepy friend.





	Goodnight, Goodnight (At Your Side)

**Author's Note:**

> I'm not entirely sure how this fic happened. I had a bunch of different ideas that didn’t work as stand-alones, so they all got squished together into one thing. I couldn't justify putting it in **["Megabytes"](https://archiveofourown.org/works/12153378/chapters/27578826)** since it's too long and I spent too much time on it, so please enjoy! (Please note that this is set post-X6).
> 
> I’m still trying to chip away at the multichapter fic I’ve been hinting at for the past…two years…but progress is slow and writing is hell. Thank you for your patience.
> 
> Side note: I still can’t believe Zero’s unit is called the 0th unit. The Maverick Hunters are such a disaster.

It was a difficult mission, one so far from Maverick Hunter HQ that armored vehicles were sent to pick up Zero and X’s teams after the base’s teleporter failed to get a signal to them through the storm.

All the Hunter’s energy levels were low, but as it was his sixth mission in a row, X’s was lower than most Reploids in his unit. He wasn’t typically one to overexert himself, but Signas had specifically requested his presence on this mission. Few Hunters had as much field experience as X, and the delicacy of the operation required a veteran. The snowstorm that kicked up when they first landed on the mountain to smoke out enemy Mavericks several days prior hadn’t abated, so X was unable to restore his energy stores via solar power. Everyone’s reserve Subtanks had long since been drained, Zero’s included, so X could do little more than wait to return to the Hunter base, where he’d be able to recharge and take a well-deserved nap.

The rest of his team milled around, chatting about the mission with the 0th unit while waiting for the trucks to arrive. After ensuring no one had sustained serious injuries, X stood off to the side and eased his back against a tree, trying not to make it look like he was ready to collapse. Mission complete or no, it would be bad for morale if his Hunters saw their leader keel over into a snowdrift.

Zero, who’d been keeping an eye on X, saw this and waved away the Hunter who was trying to read him a report. He made his way over to his friend, pausing in front of him, hand on one hip as he gave X a quick once-over.

“You look terrible,” were the first words out of Zero’s mouth when he finally got a proper look at X.

He hadn’t meant to say it like that, but the blunt comment succinctly encapsulated X’s drained appearance. Apart from the usual post-battle scorch marks and scratches across his armor and face, dark shadows rimmed X’s eyes, his expression grim, his movements stiff and forced, as though he was barely keeping himself upright. (He was).

The only retort X managed was a tired grimace, unable to conjure up the energy a proper snarky response would require.

Zero casually put an arm around X’s waist, subtly supporting his weight. “You’re not allowed to say I’m the only one who suffers from overwork anymore after this, you know that, right?”

X let out a breath of air that might’ve been a sigh or a short laugh, but leaned against him all the same.

 

* * *

 

The trucks arrived half an hour later, and the weary Reploids boarded them gratefully. As soon as X stepped foot on the vehicle and plopped down in his seat next to Zero, he groggily mumbled, “Wake me up when we’re back at Headquarters,” and immediately went into an energy-saving hibernation mode. It was typically something Reploids only did when recharging in the safety of a pod, but X was exhausted. He knew if anything happened, Zero would wake him up.

The road back to their base was long, icy, and bumpy. The members of their units were jostled like glasses in a crate as the trucks bounced, but no one was too bothered by it—that is, until a particularly large pothole sent a Reploid sprawling against Zero as they tried to catch themself. They quickly apologized and scooted away, trying to give their intimidating superior his personal space again. Zero shrugged it off, unphazed. X slowly started to slide off his seat, threatening to bump into the Reploid sitting on his other side, but Zero caught him and wrapped an arm around his shoulders, pulling him back so he was sitting upright. Conversation resumed, and a few minutes later another pothole sent X sideways so he was leaning against Zero, his head resting on Zero’s shoulder at an awkward angle.

Zero glanced down at X. His shoulder armor probably didn’t make the best headrest, but he didn’t want to prop X back up just to have him fall over again at the next bump. Gently, so as not to disturb his friend, Zero shifted X while brushing his ponytail over his shoulder, letting X rest against him once more, only this time with his fluffy hair as an added cushion. He thought he saw X’s expression relax somewhat, a faint smile gracing his face as he exhaled a satisfied sigh. The sight of X’s calm expression put a small smile on Zero’s face too—until a poorly muffled laugh instantly dispersed it.

A few Hunters had the grace to turn away as Zero raised his head, several older members of the 17th unit trying not to smile while shameless Hunters from his own unit gave Zero Knowing Looks and raised eyebrows. One mimicked a camera clicking with their hands.

Zero shut them up with a glare.

 

* * *

 

By the time they finally arrived back at HQ, most of the other Hunters had quieted down, too exhausted from the mission to chitchat or surreptitiously rag on Zero. Their units began exiting the trucks, calling greetings to friends in the transport room beyond, relieved to be back.

Zero hadn’t moved. X was still leaning against him fast asleep, and Zero was reluctant to wake him, despite X’s earlier request.

One Hunter hesitated as they were about to step out of the truck, glancing back at Zero. They waivered for a moment, then timidly approach him. “Um, excuse me sir, would you like me to call the Lifesavers for assistance? I’m sure they could transfer Captain X to a charging station for you.”

Zero recognized them as one of the 17th’s newest recruits (and the Reploid who’d fallen against him earlier). A fresh-faced Hunter who had yet to lose the hopeful glint in their eye, a Reploid who still believed their actions could cause real change. A rarity these days. They were a good fit for X’s team. “It’s fine,” Zero said with a shake of his head. “X isn’t injured, he’s just out of energy. I’ll take care of him.”

“Right! Sorry, of course—I didn’t mean to imply you weren’t going to,” they squeaked, embarrassed. “Well, anyways I’ll um, leave you two to it then!” Offering an awkward salute, they turned on their heel and sheepishly retreated back toward the door. But the Hunter paused once more as they reached the exit of the truck, as though something was holding them back. They turned to Zero again for a moment, their face still a little pink, and nervously folded their hands together. “Permission to speak freely?”

Zero blinked. “Uh, granted?”

The Reploid took a deep breath. “…Captain X is a great leader. I—everyone in the 17th looks up to him. He’s the reason we’ve been able to fight for so long without losing hope. He…he means a lot to us. We all appreciate that you’re always there to watch out for our Captain. He thinks very highly of you, sir,” they finished in a rush. “It’s an honor to see you two fight side-by-side.” They offered Zero another salute, a little less-awkwardly this time.

“Right,” Zero said, completely thrown by the sudden confession and not at all sure how to respond. His comment was apparently sufficient, however, since the Hunter nodded and finally disembarked. Zero glanced down at X, bemused. “You have the strangest people on your team, you know that?” he said softly.

X didn’t respond, still fast asleep.

“Hmph. Well, hopefully they’ll have the courage to tell you how they feel when you’re awake sometime.”

X continued to snooze soundly against him.

Zero sighed, weighing his options. He really didn’t want to take X to the medical bay; the Lifesavers would insist they wake X up to double check and make sure low energy was the only thing wrong with him. As soon as he was awake, X would probably feel compelled to file his mission report before resting. He could always take X to the communal recharge room downstairs, but there was still a chance someone might bother him there. X was always in high-demand.

He hesitated for the briefest moment, then adjusted their position and lifted X into his arms. He exited the truck carrying X, much to the surprise of the waiting security Reploid, who did a double-take but wisely said nothing. Zero figured it would be easier to take X up to his room himself, rather than make X walk all the way up there when he was running so low on energy.

The majority of his and X’s units had already disbanded, most returning to their dorms or going to the medical unit to get minor injuries repaired. He recognized several still lingering, chatting with other Hunters who were about to head off on missions. Zero saw one of his Hunters nudge one of X’s, gesturing towards their captains with a thumb and a grin. X’s Hunter rolled their eyes and flicked a zenny coin to their friend.

“And to think I wondered why people were talking about betting on the ‘happy couple’.”

Zero turned at the sound of the familiar voice and saw their navigator Alia approaching them through the bustle of arriving and departing Hunters. She waved at him in greeting.

“What were they betting on?”

“Evidently, whether you’d carry X bridal-style or piggyback.”

“They really bet on that?” Zero scoffed, not sure if he should be embarrassed or annoyed.

“You know it.” Alia flashed him a grin. “Everybody needs a hobby, I guess. Anyways, welcome back. Glad you both arrived safely; that snowstorm sounded rough. I was worried when I saw X’s low energy-signature, but I should’ve known you’d take care of him.”

“Yeah, I was just headed upstairs. Did the data signal I sent you about the Mavericks get through alright? Communication was knocked out for a bit after our request for pickup went through.”

She waved away his question with a hand. “I’ve got more than enough information to take care of the report. I can give you two a head-start on your reports as well; you and X can fill in a more detailed account of the mission later.”

Relief and gratitude surged through Zero. Reports never took _too_ long to get through, but they were tedious and Zero would much rather spend his limited free-time doing something that felt more immediately gratifying, like training. Or spending time with X. “Thanks Alia, you’re the best.”

“I know,” she said with an air of dignity. Alia raised her hand and lightly brushed away some of the dirt on X’s cheek, an oddly gentle yet sad expression on her face. “…I rarely ever see him look so peaceful anymore.”

“Even when we’re on the winning side of a war, X can’t truly relax.” With Sigma out there, they could never afford to let their guard down. They knew better, by now. “I don’t think he’s ever really able to enjoy these periods of peace after a war, even though he fights so hard to get them.” _Then again_ , Zero thought, letting his gaze roam over the milling Hunters ready to ship out, _I don’t know if I’d classify this as ‘peacetime’. We’ve never once stopped fighting since that first war_.

“It’s a cruel irony,” Alia affirmed bitterly. “X always has more and more responsibilities to bear and higher expectations to meet. He may not be the ‘leader of the Maverick Hunters’ officially, but everyone still looks to him as a shining light to help guide us. I suppose it’s only natural, after everything he’s done, but still…” She rested one of her hands on X’s for a moment, then returned her gaze to Zero. “I’m glad he feels comfortable enough around you to allow himself to stop for a moment and rest. He deserves a break from the world, once in a while.”

Zero bowed his head, thinking back to the Eurasia incident, the months that'd passed since then, and the toll it’d taken on the planet, the Maverick Hunters, and his friend. “…I think we all do, after what we’ve been through.”

Alia gave him a smile that did little to mask the weariness in her eyes. “It would be nice if the world waited for us, wouldn’t it? But Maverick Hunters don’t have that luxury; there’s always work to be done.” She shook her head, letting go of X’s hand. “That being said, sometimes we can make arrangements.” Alia pulled up a formal-looking document on her datapad, a copy of which appeared in Zero’s mental inbox a nanosecond after Alia sent the signal to him. “I sent a request in to Signas earlier; you and X are both on leave for the next two days. It’s not much, but it’s something.”

He stared at her, taken aback. “Both?”

“I’m inclined to believe you _and_ X suffer from overwork, despite what either of you say,” she said with a wry smile.

“What about you?”

“I’ve been assigned to fieldwork for a few days. Then I’ll be training a new Navigator; Layer, if I remember correctly. She’s a sweet girl, from what I’ve heard. I look forward to having another navigator join the team, we had a few quit last month after the Nova Mission.”

Zero winced. A dozen Hunters had been killed on that mission, and twice the amount critically wounded. Mavericks had sent out pulse relays that scrambled the Hunter’s communication channels, and by extension, the navigator’s observation and display network, resulting in a bad information feedback loop that gave the navigators the wrong impression of the area’s setup. By the time HQ and the navigators discovered the glitch, the Hunter team had unwittingly wandered into the middle of Maverick territory. The navigators had essentially lead them into an ambush, and their deaths. It was reason enough for anyone to quit.

X shifted in his sleep, as though sensing Zero’s troubled thoughts. Alia saw this and shook her head again. “Sorry, I’ll let you both get some sleep.”

“Thanks again, Alia. You take care, too.”

She departed with another wave, and Zero set off.

He was already in the elevator with X when a new message from her came through.

 _> Sorry, I forgot to mention that they’re doing some work on the second level of the dorms for the next few hours. Apparently a scientist from the R &D department was doing some tinkering on a project one level above the dorms, and whatever it was soaked through their floor into the ceiling and got into some of the rooms. I’m not sure if they’re finished decontaminating everything yet, but you might not be able to get to X’s room, even if his isn’t under the lab. Last I checked, they were still working on things in that hallway. _– Alia

Zero grumbled under his breath. Well, that was _fantastic_.

Sure enough, when the elevator doors slid open and Zero stepped out, the hallway to the left was completely closed off. A Hunter was grumpily arguing with a harassed-looking security Reploid stationed there. With a heavy sigh, Zero turned into the other hallway and walked to his room. He adjusted his hold on X and typed in his password code, entering sideways so he wouldn’t bump X’s head on the door frame once the door slid open automatically for him. He carried X to his recharger and gently lay him inside.

Now Zero was at a bit of an impasse. He was more than happy to lend his recharger to X, but he was also _exhausted_. Even if Zero hadn’t been on as many back-to-back missions as X lately, his energy levels were still less than optimal, and his overall performance suffered for it. That made him antsy—being a nanosecond too slow in battle could cost himself, or someone on his team, their life. Zero knew he could easily go back downstairs and recharge in a communal pod, but he was as loathe to switching himself off and being defenseless in a public space as he was to jumping into an active volcano. So no, that was out of the question. His nightmares and general inability to let his guard down around other people meant he’d get an uneasy rest anyways. He’d just have to do combat exercises in the training room until X woke up, even if he wouldn’t perform as well as he normally would if his energy was at ideal levels.

…Of course, Zero didn’t necessarily _have_ to wait for X to finish sleeping to rest.

The recharger was wide enough to accommodate both of them, they could easily fit next to each other. It was the most practical option, albeit a little unorthodox. Even so, they were friends, and they’d had to share a recharger once before. It wasn’t like doing so again would make X uncomfortable, even if they hadn’t talked about it before-hand. It didn’t have to be weird.

…Right?

A small exhausted voice in his head told Zero that overthinking it _would_ make it weird, so without any further contemplation, Zero went for it. He gently scooted X over and slowly lowered himself down next to him. The quiet hum of the recharger started up, and waves of energy washed over them, slowly replenishing their cores. X’s slightly furrowed brow smoothed somewhat, and Zero felt his own body relax as tension incrementally eased out of it, his eyelids gradually drifting shut.

He thought about what Alia and the Reploid from X’s unit had said. Everyone saw how special X was. Although he meant different things to different people, above all else, X stood as a symbol for hope and an eventual peaceful future. A hero, the personification of their ideals.

Zero half-opened his eyes for a moment, looking at X. He could also see what they saw, but more than anything else, Zero saw his best friend. His friend, who selflessly suffered and bled time and time again for other people. His friend, who was willing to do it countless times more if it meant he could save even one person. X, martyred into something larger than himself; perfectly suited to the role yet simultaneously swallowed up by it.

He closed his eyes and put an arm around X. Zero was too exhausted to sort out those thoughts, to parse his own feelings among them. That was a problem for another day. No matter what X chose to do, no matter what role he accepted or was thrust into, Zero would be by his side to offer support.

 

* * *

 

X woke slowly, rising from the cloudy depths of deep sleep, and was almost immediately aware of the feeling of being enveloped in warmth and safety. It was such a close, intimate sensation it was almost overwhelming, yet its strange familiarity made X feel oddly at peace. He slowly took in his surroundings, his sensors coming online one by one. After a moment, he realized his head was resting against Zero’s chest, one of Zero’s arms loosely secured around his waist.

He felt his cheeks go warm—not out of embarrassment, but out of fond surprise. Zero wasn’t typically the type of person to initiate physical contact, and X briefly wondered what could’ve caused his reserved friend to pull him into what was practically an embrace while they were sleeping. X peered up at him, curious. Zero’s eyes were half closed, the backlight off, making his normally sapphire irises a dull blue-grey. X was the only one who ever had the privilege of seeing Zero willingly powered down like this. He could understand Zero’s cautious nature, given everything that’d happened to them over the past few decades, but the knowledge that he was the only person Zero felt safe sleeping next to always left X with a strangely bittersweet feeling.

X closed his eyes momentarily, listening to the gentle hum of Zero’s core. It was…nice. He couldn’t identify why, but for some reason, he felt so comfortable lying there next to Zero, practically in his arms. He let out a small laugh, imagining how Zero might react to such a silly thought.

At his breath of laughter, Zero’s sensors snapped back to alertness. He pulled X close as he surveyed the room before realizing the disturbance came from the Reploid currently cradled in his arms.

They stared at each other for a few seconds.

“Hey,” X said softly.

“Hey,” Zero echoed, looking a bit embarrassed. “So…you uh, slept well?”

X hummed an affirmative. “I saw Alia left me a message saying we have the next two days off. Or, day and a half, I guess. I didn’t realize I’d slept so long.” He yawned, human quirk that was totally unique to X. Dr. Cain had never managed to replicate it when building the first line of Reploids, though many didn’t see the appeal of that feature anyways. “But now that I’m here, I don’t think I’d say no to another hour or two of sleep. If you don’t mind sharing a while longer, that is.” He smiled sleepily.

“I don’t,” Zero said, returning his smile warmly. “Even if you hug me like a koala when you’re asleep."

“You’re one to talk,” X said, nuzzling against him, eyes already closing. “But I don’t mind either. It’s nice, feeling you next to me, knowing you’re safe and by my side.” X put an arm around Zero’s waist, fingers curled against his back. “…I still worry, sometimes. That this is all a dream. That when I wake up, you’ll be gone again.”

Zero leaned his head against X’s, forehead gems touching. “Not a dream. Sorry, but you’re stuck with me, whether you like it or not.”

X laughed. “Good.” He rested one hand against Zero’s chest, reassured by the gentle pulse of his core, felt even through the layers of armor.

Zero put a hand over the one X had on his chest. “I promise to still be here when you wake up.”

“I know you will.”

“Goodnight, X.”

“Goodnight, Zero. Thank you for watching out for me.”

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! 
> 
> Lots of end notes this time around, but let's start off with some notes specific to this fic:  
> ► Like Zero, I always keep my hair in a ponytail 24/7, and on occasion when someone rests their head on my shoulder, I move my ponytail to the side to give them a little extra padding. (Yes it's extremely cheesy and sentimental, don't look at me).  
> ► A big chunk of this story I wrote when I was exhausted / sleep deprived. The irony is not lost on me.  
> ► The ending of this fic was cut from another fic in the works, but it gave me an excuse to include a scene from X’s POV rather than Zero’s for a change. That was nice.  
> ► Not super note-worthy but in case someone is curious, the Alia / X interaction was purely platonic in my mind when I wrote it. I like the idea of those two being good friends, but I guess everything’s up to personal preferences and interpretations. 
> 
> As I said in the beginning note, I'm still trying to work on the upcoming fics I had planned, but every time I try and work on them, something comes up or I come up with a completely different idea. But this fic helped sorta get me back in my writing groove, so at least I can say I've accomplished something! (Essentially, this fic was me simultaneously procrastinating while being productive).
> 
> In other news, you know what I forgot that completely caught me off-guard while I was writing this? The fact that in X6, it states that the damage to Earth was so bad, humans had to start living underground because of all the pollution / radiation and junk. I wonder how long it took them to resurface. X7? X8? CM??? We never hear much about humans in the MMX games, but that little detail got me thinking a lot about the MMX world and what life must be like for civilian Reploids and humans.
> 
> As I finished this fic, Vienna Teng’s **["Goodnight New York"](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FClE1oJ3XOo)** came to mind. It’s not at all relevant to the fic, but it’s a calm sleepy song and the tone sorta fits the mood of the story. The title vaguely comes from that song, but like I said, it’s not super relevant to this fic (though the last stanzas are), I just really like Vienna Teng’s music. She has a very calming voice; I highly recommend her work (esp. her Aims album).


End file.
